Doctors & Nurses

As the number of intact (not circumcised) males grows across the United States, there is a growing epidemic of young boys being forcibly retracted by healthcare professionals as well as healthcare professionals recommending parents retract the foreskin to clean the penis. This information is entirely false and can lead to extreme pain, bleeding, scaring, infection and adhesions. (Photo credit: Esther Max, Flickr)

Welcome, healthcare providers! We are proud to be your trusted source for information on circumcision and intact penis care. With the help of our Board of Directors and Advisory Board, we strive to have the most current and accurate information on intact penis care.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please don’t hesitate to contact us. As you know, the best healthcare providers know that their education never ends. Below are articles from respected sources providing accurate and up-to-date information on proper intact penis care.

"Most boys will be able to retract their foreskins by the time they are 5 years old, yet others will not be able to until the teen years. As a boy becomes more aware of his body, he will most likely discover how to retract his own foreskin. But foreskin retraction should never be forced. Until the foreskin fully separates, do not try to pull it back. Forcing the foreskin to retract before it is ready can cause severe pain, bleeding, and tears in the skin."

Canadian Urological Association: Foreskin Care for Boys"At birth, the inner foreskin is usually fused to the glans. This prevents it from being pulled back or retracted to uncover to the glans... It is important not to retract the foreskin forcefully for any reason. Some parents feel the need to pull the foreskin back to 'clean under it.' Since the young boy's inner foreskin and the glans are initially fused, there is no space to clean... Forceful retraction also may lead to cracking and bleeding of the foreskin tip. Over time, this may cause scarring of the tip making retraction impossible."

Dr. Adrienne Carmack, Board Certified Urological Surgeon: Premature Foreskin Retraction"As a urologist, I have had to do circumcisions on young boys because of scarring and infections that developed as a result of either doctors forcibly retracting their foreskins or parents doing it on doctor's advice... Parent's are routinely taught that this important. It's not.... it is of utmost importance that no one but the child messes with his foreskin... Their foreskin will separate with their own tugging and manipulation..."

Psychology Today: What is the Greatest Danger for an Uncircumcised Boy?"The foreskin is fused to the glans (head) by a normal connective membrane... The two are functionally an undifferentiated single structure. It takes many years from this membrane to naturally dissipate, a few cells at a time. The average age for full foreskin retraction without trauma is ten years, with half of all boys at age ten fully retractable, and half not yet so... Typically [forced retraction] occurs when a poorly-trained physician or nurse tells the parent that the child has 'adhesions'... which must be separated 'for hygiene.' He or she will then tear the foreskin from the glans by forcing it towards the abdomen, exposing the entire glans and destroying the boy's protective membrane... The trauma of tearing the glans and foreskin apart before they separate naturally will cause intense pain, bleeding, swelling, and expose what was formerly a sterile, internal site to infection.

Doctors Opposing Circumcision: Forced Retraction“… [a boy or girl] needs only warm water gently applied to the outer, visible portions of his or her genitalia, and only the very mildest soap if any. No intrusive or interior cleaning of the genitalia of either gender is ever needed or desirable, and aggressive hygiene is destructive of developing tissue and natural flora, and is harmful as well as painful.”

Wrongful Foreskin Retraction"As an international physicians’ organization, we deeply apologize for the conduct of our fellow professional, and for the unnecessary injury done to your son. American health care professionals are often not well trained or familiar with the normal, intact penis, which can lead to inappropriate and even harmful care or advice."

Urine Samples/Catheters

“A physiological phimosis is frequently present during childhood and the foreskin should never be forced to retract.” Catheterization of the Urethra in Male Children ,University Hospitals of Geneva, University of Geneva, Switzerland

Catheterization without foreskin retraction (Carmack A., MD, Milos M., RN, Canadian Family Physician)“"In boys with intact prepuces and physiologic phimosis, catheterization without retraction minimizes potential long-term problems and is an effective technique. Understanding how to catheterize without direct vision of the meatus and discarding the initial urine if culture is desired allow this procedure to be performed with high validity and minimal risk of iatrogenic problems for the child.”

What is the right way to catheterize an intact boy? (Doctors Opposing Circumcision)“Fortunately, forced retraction of the foreskin or complete exposure of the glans are not necessary for catheterizing a boy or for cleaning the area in preparation for the catheter. The foreskin can safely be gently manipulated to allow cleaning and exposure of the meatus, but this should never be done beyond the level of natural separation. Using a gentle touch and stopping at the earliest sign of resistance will avoid any harm. For a boy who does have a loose foreskin, retraction helps assure a sterile area for the catheterization. Otherwise, if the foreskin is tight or adhered, only easily visible surfaces need be cleaned.”

Ballooning, Yeast, Urate Crystals and Smegma

Ballooning"The foreskin contains muscle tissue that helps keep its tip (preputial opening) closed, except when passing urine, in order to keep contaminants out. This muscle relaxes quickly in response to the pressure of the urine behind it, and the “balloon” deflates as the urine exits the body. The slight pressure the urine creates in these pockets before exiting helps further dissolve the fused membrane, aiding the separation process.

Yeast & Irritation"Swelling and redness, sometimes accompanied by discharge and/or pain/discomfort, in the absence of fever, are signs of yeast." Tips and tricks for identifying and treating yeast.

Urate CrystalsNew parents are sometimes concerned to find dark pinkish-orange spots in their intact baby’s diaper during the first few days of life, and worry it might be blood the baby’s urine. In almost all of these cases, however, the substance that looks remarkably like blood in a diaper is actually not blood at all, but rather what is known as urate crystals.*

Smegma (with Images)"Imagine that you’re changing your two-year-old son’s diaper one day and you notice a lump on his penis that you hadn’t seen before. If you had to describe it, you’d call it a cyst. It is a little squishy and might even shift around when you press on it. You are worried and immediately call to schedule an appointment with your son’s pediatrician."

Professional Organizations

Doctors Opposing CircumcisionDoctors Opposing Circumcision is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization that works to empower parents and medical professionals with education, resources, and support, so that they can make thoughtful decisions regarding circumcision.

Nurses for the Rights of the ChildNurses for the Rights of the Child is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the rights of infants and children to bodily integrity. As health professionals, we specifically seek to protect non-consenting infants and children from surgical alteration of their healthy genitals.

Your Whole Baby

We believe, if you have the information necessary to see circumcision in a new light, free from cultural blinders, you will not choose it for your son. Your protective instincts will scream NO as far as the ear can hear.

Gently providing education on the lifelong harms of circumcision and information on the functions and proper care of the foreskin in an effort to end infant genital cutting.

The information provided on this website is for information and research purposes. It should not be substituted for medical care. For healthcare, seek a qualified medical professional who is knowledgeable on the benefits of a whole body and intact care and who knows the harms involved in circumcision and forced retraction. Visit the Choosing a Pediatrician page for assistance in picking a doctor who is right for your family.

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